10 Things We Learned in One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5
10 Things We Learned in “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things”
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at ten interesting tidbits we learned from the new Netflix documentary “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things.”
#10: The Basement Scene Was the First One Written
While the documentary focuses primarily on season five, it also offers a few fascinating details about the earlier seasons and the Duffer Brothers’ beginnings. We see photos and videos of the younger brothers as they explain their origin, including the fact that they originally had no interest in writing. They simply wanted to direct, but found that writing was the easiest path into the industry. Consequently, they wrote “Stranger Things,” starting with the now-iconic basement scene where the kids play “Dungeons & Dragons.” While some writers prefer to work backward from the big action set pieces, the Duffers were clearly interested in prioritizing character dynamics over spectacle from day one.
#9: They Emailed Frank Darabont
The Duffers are arguably the biggest showrunners in the industry right now - so much so that they can simply email Frank Darabont and bring him out of retirement. The legendary director has helmed many classic films, and he famously helmed the first season of “The Walking Dead.” However, he hadn’t worked since 2013, when he made the short-lived “Mob City” for TNT. The Duffers, being massive fans of his work, decided to reach out and ask if he wanted to direct new episodes for the fifth season. It seems like one of those “the worst he could do is say no” moments that you just sort of go for. Surprisingly, he agreed, helming both “The Turnbow Trap” and “Shock Jock.” Just imagine having that kind of sway.
#8: Recreating Hawkins
In earlier seasons, the filmmakers used the small town of Jackson, Georgia, to stand in for Hawkins, with locations like the Butts County Probate Court and the Jackson Drug Store doubling as the library and Melvald’s. However, filming a gigantic military battle in an active downtown area just wasn’t feasible, forcing the production team to get creative. They recreated Jackson - and by extension, Hawkins - entirely from scratch on a backlot. This set was then used for the MAC-Z and the site of the climactic battle with Vecna. Rebuilding an entire downtown square likely came with a massive price tag and more than a few headaches, but looking at the results, it was more than worth it.
#7: Noah Schnapp Helped Direct His Younger Self
The very first scene of season five is a flashback showing a younger Will inside Castle Byers, hiding from the Demogorgon. Since Noah Schnapp has obviously outgrown the role, production utilized a child actor for the physical performance and superimposed a younger Will over his face. But the most interesting detail is that the Duffers had Schnapp direct his younger self. It’s a fascinating look at the production, showing that the directors trust their cast to bring the best work out of one another. It also facilitated a more natural performance, as the child actor received pointers from the very person he was portraying. Still, it must have been quite a trip for Schnapp, who was essentially directing himself. Talk about a time capsule.
#6: The Flare Gun Was a Possible Inside Joke
One of the funniest moments of season five occurs during the finale when Mike approaches Nancy and asks for a gun. Nancy relents, much to Mike’s excitement, only for Lucas to break the bad news seconds later: it’s just a flare gun. As revealed in the documentary, this was likely an inside joke from the creators. The Duffers were approached by Finn Wolfhard, who apparently wanted to wield a weapon in the finale. Totally understandable. Unfortunately, The Duffers said no, essentially acting exactly like Nancy - placating him with a flare gun when he wanted something bigger and meaner. Still, considering it helped take down The Mind Flayer, we can’t say it was useless!
#5: The Set Design Seemed Rushed
If there’s one aspect of production that didn’t seem fully synchronized, it was the set design for the final battle. When the brothers relayed their ambitious concepts to the construction team inside the school, the crew looked visibly shell-shocked. They were understandably worried about the limited time to build the set and the practicalities of engineering a “living” environment that physically moved. To make matters worse, they didn’t even have a finished script to work with, forcing them to build the set entirely based on concept art and conversations with the Duffers. Considering those limitations, the fact that they pulled it off is a miracle.
#4: The Melting Walls Were Reverse Engineered
One of the most discussed scenes of season five was the breakup between Nancy and Jonathan, which famously took place inside a melting room. As it turns out, this environment was reverse-engineered specifically to put the couple in a life-or-death scenario. The brothers knew they needed Nancy and Jonathan on the verge of dying to force them to reveal their true feelings, so they worked backward to find a threat that fit. They envisioned the melting walls, realizing it paired perfectly with the unstable exotic matter above them. They faced significant hurdles filming the sequence - specifically, the “goop” being way too watery - but they managed to make the practical effects work in the end. You gotta work with what you have!
#3: It Was Maya Hawke’s Idea to Whisper
The documentary offers plenty of “fly on the wall” moments, including a great interaction during the filming of episode six, “Escape From Camazotz.” Maya Hawke is seen sitting with Amybeth McNulty when she flags down director Shawn Levy to offer a suggestion. She reasons that because Lucas doesn’t know that Robin and Vickie are dating, she should play the scene in a whisper. This serves a dual purpose: protecting them from the Demodogs, but also hiding their relationship from Lucas. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the collaborative process, showing how actors can elevate a scene simply by focusing on the small and realistic motivations of their characters. This kind of stuff comes naturally to her. Not surprising, given her background.
#2: They Fought Over Eleven’s Fate
The question of whether Eleven survived the explosion remains the show's biggest unanswered mystery. While this open-ended conclusion is deliberate, the documentary exposes a surprisingly heated divide between the creators regarding the finale. It wasn't just a minor disagreement; it was a fundamental clash over the show’s emotional payoff. Matt argued for a definitive ending where El reunites with Hopper, but Ross pushed for the cerebral, ambiguous ending to keep the mythology alive. They spent days debating not just the final shot, but exactly which visual clues to plant to support both interpretations. It’s a rare instance of the brothers being out of sync, and while Ross clearly won that creative battle, the debate among fans is clearly just getting started.
#1: Monsters In The Abyss WERE Suggested
One of the most controversial aspects of the finale was the significant lack of monsters in The Abyss. Critics and fans alike found it silly that the heroes could simply climb into the dimension and stroll right up to Vecna’s lair without encountering any form of resistance. However, the documentary vindicates those fans: this was discussed in the writers’ room - they just chose to ignore it. We see writer Paul Dichter arguing that they had to show Demogorgons and bats in The Abyss, explicitly stating it would be “crazy” to leave the area empty. Unfortunately, his suggestion was met with awkward silence and the counter-argument that viewers would have “demo fatigue” by that point. Clearly, the audience disagreed.
What else did you find interesting? Let us know in the comments below!
